Fireplace flue system



g- 1948 H. w. GABAR ETAL 2,447,405 I FIREPLACE FLUE SYSTEM Filed July 12, 1946 v 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 17, 1948. H. w. GABAR ET AL FIREPLACE .FLUE SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed July 12, 1946,

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Patented Aug. 15?, 3943 FIREPLACE FLUEESYSiTEM;

,Ha-rryW. Gabar and;LQ.on. ltIor-owitz .A l nya- Application 'J-uIy IZ, 1946,? Serial No.; 6;i3 3;11fi

economical to provide fireplaces in the ordinary apartment house construction inasmuch as each =fireplace had to have a separate flue or stack. Eu alargeapartment building, therefore, where ttherewere several apartment units on each floor,

and wherethe height of the building mightbe +twenty-stories or higher, the cost of carrying a separate flue from each apartment to the roof was prohibitive, both in terms of construction cost andareaoccu-pied by such a multitude of fiues.

It has not been possible heretofore to utilize iaisinglerfiue for more than one fireplace because the upper apartments would receive smoke from the lower apartments, and even if it were attempted to utilize a single flue for apartments on thesame floor or level, different fire condiitions inseach .fireplace would result in smoke being discharged to such other apartments. In addition to these disadvantages, the amount of draft prqduced by utilizingasingle flue for upper floor-apartments wouldbe'relatively low and for lower floor apartments the amount of draft achieved would be so high that this type of flue would be undesirable.

It is one of the objects of the present invention, therefore, to provide a fireplace flue system for multi-apartment buildings wherein a uniform draft is achieved for each apartment connected to a Single flue.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a fireplace system wherein a plurality of fireplaces are connected to a single flue and each fireplace is provided with its individual draft producing means.

A third object of the present invention is to provide in a system of flues a single outlet flue and means to couple each of the individual flues to the single outlet flue, while at the same time producing a draft in each individual flue.

A fourth object of the present invention is to provide in a fireplace system automatic means for opening the flue of each fireplace and at the same time starting an exhaust fan or the like so a t exhaus .flu ceasesiircmt he raferesa rflra- :1 'nele ma'n Jfaac th ilreisaa wt dra t and. ca e -if :;lS S0-.=H Z0i@Q- shau tzme in .lnst s to iu nis eaemim imum craft-;vrh nanvacnezofethazind r di als .re place exhaust imeansziszturne nn-n s.-quent :descriptic. andefleurestof drawings.

-wher.eini 1 Figure. :liis; a;diagrammaticascctionxofeazmnr- ;tion;cf;aneapartmentabuildingashowingzthexinterconnection lofgseveral fireplaceseand aremain flue; zF;iguret-z;=is;aidetailed section at: ariportionziofsza single fireplace -:illustrating1:the2 .relationshipuof the exhaustian andqdamper rearrangement "Eigure '3.-:is-.-a' :sectionA-taken oni-fihe'hlihfic- IEi gure Z;

Figure 4 iis .aschematic :di-agramuof thereliactricalpconnections ref: rthe-rivar-ious eulriaust: tfan motors :and controls; 7

:Figure 5 =-is= a sectional enlarged- -detail similar to Figure 2, illustrating-thedamper -and controls.

general'at 4-0; This-flue'extends theentiraheight of a conventional apartment building and exhausts at its upper end to the outlet of a conventional type of exhaust fan indicated at II. A plurality of fireplaces, indicated in general at I2, l3 and it, are each shown connected to the main flue by auxiliary flues l5, l6 and I1, respectively. Another auxiliary flue I 8 is also shown which may be connected to still another fireplace, which is not disclosed in detail.

Each of the fireplace flues I5, I 6 and I! are provided with exhaust fans I9, 20 and 2|, respectively, and also with the automatic dampers 22, 23 and 24. As best shown in Figures 2 and 5, the dampers consist of a pair of fixed plates 25 and 26 having a plurality of openings therein adapted to cooperate with openings in a sliding plate 21. As shown in Figure 2, a spring 28 normally keeps the sliding plate 21 in such position that the openings in the respective fixed and sliding plates are not aligned and the damper is closed. Extending from the end of the sliding plate 21, re-

to the other line wire mote from the spring 28, is a solenoid armature 29 normally positioned outside of the solenoid 30, so that when the solenoid is energized the armature 29 is drawn into the solenoid to slide the sliding plate 21 and align the openings in the plate 21 and the plates 25 and 23. Also connected to the armature 29 is a manual control for the damper, indicated at 3!, which is made of brass or some other material relatively nonpermeable to magnetic lines of force.

Positioned in the flue beyond the damper thus described is a drum type blower of the conventional type indicated at 2|. As shown in Figure 3, only the blades of the draft, the motor 33 and opposed bearings 34 being located in the wall so that they are not exposed to the heat of the flue gases. adjacent the a. switch 35 and a speed control or resistance 33.

Referring now to the schematic diagram, Figure 4, the motor for the minimum draft fan i I is indicated at 31. The motors for the blowers I9, 23 and M are indicated at 38, 39 and 33, respectively. The solenoids for operating the dampers 22, 23 and are indicated at 40, 4t and 30, respectively. The switches for operating each of the blowers and dampers are indicated at 42, 43 and 35, respectively. The resistances for regulating the speed of each of the motors 38, 39 and 33 are located at 44, 45 and 361, respectively. At 46 there is indicated a solenoid controlled main switch for the minimum draft blower motor 31. The two sides of the line are indicated at 41 and 48; If, therefore, any one of the switches, as for example switch 35, is closed, current is fed from line wire 48 through the switch 35 and resistance 36 and the motor 33 through the solenoid coil 49 41 so that the motor 33 for the blower 2| is operated and the main blower motor 31 for the blower II is also operated, since the switch 46 is closed by the action of the solenoid 49. At the same time, the solenoid coil 30 is energized through the shunt circuit including the wires 50 and 5|. If the switch 35 is open and any of the other switches 42 or 43 are operated the same effect takes place and each of the respective dampers are opened in the auxiliary flues, the re- A spective blowersstarted, and the main blower is I also operated to provide a minimum draft.

It will thus be seen that there is herein provided a plurality of blowers or fan capable of producing a draft ineach of a number of indiyidual branch flues, these flues communicating the blower are located in Located fireplace in any suitable position is 4 with a main flue. Although, it is preferred to provide an additional minimum draft means such as a blower in the main flue as well, this additional blower can be omitted if the height of the main flue is such that a minimum draft is insured.

Each of the motors and control switches for the blowers located in the branch flues l5, H3 and I! may be said to be in parallel circuit relative to one another and in series circuit with the solenoid 49 which controls the main switch 46 for the blower motor 37.

Although, as shown in Figure 3, the blower fan 2| for the branch flues is preferably located within the flue, it is within the broad scope of this invention to provide a blower which is not located directly in the flue. For most efficient operation,

however, this blower fan is preferably so located and the motor therefor and bearings are located outside the flue or if located in the flue are thoroughly insulated from the heat of the flue gases flowing therethrough,

Having described our invention what we claim "in a fireplace system including a plurality of fireplaces, a main flue, a plurality of branch flues each connected to a single fireplace and said main flue, a plurality of damper means, each operatively positioned relative to one of said branch flues, draft producing means for each of said branch flues, draft producing means for said main fine, and control means for each .of said branch flues for simultaneously starting said draft producing means 'for said corresponding branch flue and opening the corresponding damper means, said control means being operative to simultaneously start said draft producing means for said main flue.

HARRY W. GABAR. LEON HOROWITZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Great Britain Feb. 22, 1926 

